Danish State Visit to Croatia

Transcription

1 Invitation Danish State Visit to Croatia Zagreb, October 2014 OFFICIAL DANISH BUSINESS DELEGATION TO CROATIA on the occasion of the visit by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Prince Consort together with Mr. Dan Jørgensen, Denmark s Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.

2 1 CONTENTS In October 2014, the Royal Couple will visit the Republic of Croatia for the first time and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, the Danish Board of District Heating, the Confederation of Danish Industry and the Embassy of Denmark in Zagreb are pleased to invite Danish companies to join the official Danish Business Delegation to Croatia. The State Visit is an excellent way to enhance cooperation between Danish and Croatian companies and to explore current and future market opportunities in Croatia. SECTORS TARGETED - Environmental Technologies - Energy & Energy Efficiency - Agro-Industry, Food & Food Processing - Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals - Information Technologies Read more about the sectors in the following or visit our website ORGANIZERS SUPPORTING PARTNERS RGB Logo / State of Green Green R 0 - G B 126 Dark R 50 - G 50 - B 50 BRANDING PARTNERS

3 2 BACKGROUND Croatia is the largest market in the Western Balkan region, in general and for Danish exports as well. Croatia is a natural hub to other markets in the region and logistically to a larger South East European region. Danish goods exports to Croatia are at the level of 800 million Danish kroner (DKK), with pharmaceuticals and windmills as the largest categories. Many Danish companies are represented in Croatia and around 25 have a local presence. Croatia became the 28th European Union (EU) Member State on 1 July 2013, providing new opportunities for Croatia to further develop, using available know-how and technology, and obligations to reach the required EU level in the areas of environmental protection (primarily waste, water, and wastewater management), renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and infrastructure. Croatia experienced rapid growth at the approximately 5% level for several years until the financial crisis hit hard and took the country into recession. Croatia is undergoing an EUdesigned budget rebalancing exercise to go from a deficit of -6% to less than -3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Growth is expected to reappear in the end of 2014 and increasing from then, i.e. supported by considerable EU fund financing.

4 3 PARTICIPATION FEE AND WHAT IS INCLUDED The budget is based on a minimum of 25 participating companies and a 50% subsidy through The Trade Council in Denmark. The participation fee includes 1 company representative. After deduction of the anticipated subsidy the package rates are as follows: THE TOTAL PRICE FOR PARTICIPATION IS DKK THE PRICE INCLUDES Welcome briefing - 21 October Short welcome by DI, DAFC, and DBDH Welcome and short market introduction, Danish Embassy in Zagreb Doing business in Croatia from a Danish perspective Financing possibilities by EKF Short presentation round of Danish companies participating in the State Visit Danish-Croatian Business Forum for the Business Delegation - 22 October Sector seminars and company presentations covering different sectors in focus: Environmental Technologies, Energy & Energy Efficiency, Agro-Industry, Food & Food Processing, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, and Information Technology. Business luncheon - 22 October Gala dinner - 22 October The venue of the gala dinner will be at the famous Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb and each company will have 2 seats. Targeted invitations to Croatian guests for seminars, lunch and dinner Sponsored article on the website Your company gets a small place on the website where you can highlight your company s solution. Targeted marketing towards Croatian customers and partners Access to platform for the State Visit On the website, you get access to all information about the State Visit. Here, you can sign up your company for participation and individual activities during the State Visit. On the website, the overall program will be visible as well as your company s individual program. The reports, made by the Danish Embassy in Zagreb, regarding the market opportunities within the selected sectors, will be available for you.

5 4 ADD-ONS Networking dinner - 21 October Pre-arranged B2B meetings The Danish Embassy in Zagreb can set up individual meetings between your company and Croatian companies based on your needs. Joint and individual business visits to sector-related sites and/or companies in Croatia The Embassy can arrange a trip to relevant business sites. Extra company representative in the State Visit The fee for an extra company representative is DKK DKK in case you wish to participate in the Gala Dinner (if seats are available). Extra seats for the Gala Dinner Each participating company can request additional seats for the Gala Dinner. The seats can be booked at a fee of DKK per seat on a first come first served basis. There is a limited number of seats. Product display in business lounge You can buy a product display with a banner and a cocktail table. Please contact the Embassy. Targeted company presentations You can make a presentation about your company to a targeted group. Please contact the Embassy. Any other requests If you have any other requests, please contact the Danish Embassy and we will gladly assist. Please create a company profile on the website and log in to request these individual activities. You can also contact the Danish Embassy in Zagreb for more information.

6 5 OVERVIEW OF THE SECTORS AND MARKET OPPORTUNITIES TARGETED A number of sectors have been carefully selected and they will be the focus of seminars and events during the State Visit. Businesses within sectors not mentioned are of course also very welcome to participate in the export promotion event. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES - water supply projects - sewage systems and wastewater treatment facilities - solid waste management / waste incineration - low carbon emission technologies / cleantech - floods prevention and monitoring solutions - wastewater management HEALTHCARE & PHARMACEUTICALS AGRO-INDUSTRY, FOOD & FOOD PROCESSING - export of food, live animals, animal feed - animal breeding / genetics - organic products - agricultural machinery - consultancy services - irrigation technology - fish farming, fishing and fish processing equipment - fish feed; fish fry INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY - equipment for gas-fired and coal-fired power plants - equipment for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals - equipment for renewable energy plants - underground gas storage equipment - oil pipeline and gas pipeline equipment - district heating know-how and technology - RES solutions and technology (biomass, biogas, wind, solar) - green transportation / liquid biofuel - green building solutions - energy efficiency products /solutions - medical equipment - orthopaedic devices - pharmaceuticals - food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) products - IT services/solutions for healthcare sector (e-health, telemedicine) - cloud computing Platform as a Service (PaaS) - business solutions (Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Intelligence (BI), Supply Chain Management (SCM) etc.) - security - advisory services - IT services/solutions for healthcare sector (e-health, telemedicine)

7 6 SECTORS IN FOCUS INDIVIDUAL SECTORS ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES Croatia s EU accession in July 2013 has increased attention on the environmental sector and is providing a unique window of opportunity for Danish companies to offer specialized equipment and services and position themselves for long-term access to the country s environmental market. According to some estimates, the total environmental investments aimed at reaching the average EU standards for water, air, and waste sectors will amount to at least EUR 1,5 to EUR 2,1 thousand per capita, totaling about EUR 7,6 to 8 billion. Most of the costs will be related to water protection and waste disposal. ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY Croatia imports over 50% of the total of about 300 PJ (petajoules) of energy consumed annually. It imports 80% of its oil needs, 40% of gas, 34% of electricity, and 100% of coal needs. Due to the expected 3% annual increase of energy demand and the projected exhaustion of Croatia s own oil and gas resources during the next ten years, its dependence on imported energy will continue to grow. In the oil and gas sector, it has identified the need for construction of additional oil and gas pipelines, LNG terminal and gas storages. Upgrades and modernization are also needed in the district heating sector. The estimated total investment in these projects exceeds EUR 14 billion (about EUR 1,5 billion annually). An estimated 60% of the investments would be needed in the electric energy sector, 30% in the oil and gas sector, and 10% in the district heating sector. Croatia does not have sufficient financial and technology resources for these investments and it will be highly dependent on foreign investors and equipment suppliers. AGRO-INDUSTRY, FOOD & FOOD PROCESSING Croatian agriculture is divided into three different geographical and climatic zones: the lowland zone in the north of the country, influenced by the continental climate; the coastal zone in the south, influenced by the Mediterranean climate; and the mountainous zone that occupies the central part of Croatia. Croatia has a total of 3,15 million hectares (ha) of agricultural land out of which only 1,3 million ha is in use. Farms in Croatia can be characterized as being relatively small: the average size of 5,6 hectares per holding in 2010 was considerably less than the average of 14,4 hectares per holding across the whole of the EU-27. Croatia is a market of good opportunities for fish and seafood exports. Croatia s faltering fishing industry cannot meet rising demand for seafood as the country becomes an ever more popular tourist destination. HEALTHCARE & PHARMACEUTICALS Funding for healthcare in Croatia is principally through the compulsory health insurance system, which has been operated by the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance (HZZO). The HZZO collects contributions from the working population and the government makes payments on behalf of those exempt, such as the elderly, the unemployed, and dependents. In the later stage opportunities will arise for Danish providers of IT services specialized in healthcare sector. A regional conference on diabetes (Diabetes Forum) is foreseen to take place during the State Visit organized by the Croatian Ministry of Health. The Diabetes Forum will gather leading experts from 6 regional countries and Denmark.

8 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The local branch of the market research agency IDC estimates that the market will grow by as much as 15% for the next year and 50% by 2016, reaching EUR 1,2 billion. Full EU membership will provide the much needed sources of funding for IT projects in the government sector, which should be the fastest-growing segment of the market. The public sector is the largest user segment, representing 23% of the IT spending in Croatia. It is followed by the financial sector (21%) and telecommunications sector (18%). 7 EU FUNDS EU funds will be one of the most important instruments for tackling the main development challenges for Croatia and implementing the Europe 2020 strategy. The amount of funding significantly increased with Croatia s EU accession. EUR 8,5 billion in total will become available in the period from There are different funds available: the two structural funds, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF), and the Cohesion Fund: - The purpose of the ERDF is to increase the level of development; investments in private companies (SMEs) and regional and local infrastructure. - The ESF has the purpose to provide economic and social equality and fulfill strategic aims of employment policy in regions with high unemployment. - The Cohesion Fund is intended for big infrastructural projects and is aimed at Member States whose Gross National Income per inhabitant is less than 90% of the Community average. Furthermore there exist EU funds for agriculture and fisheries, which are the European Agriculture Guarantee Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund.

9 8 ADDITIONAL INFO HOTEL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION The participation fee does not include airfare and hotel accommodation. Upon registration for the delegation a travel proposal will be sent from BCD Travel, who can assist you. Please contact BCD Travel, tel: , [email protected] for more information. You are also welcome to book flight and accommodation individually, but please address this to BCD Travel. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT CROATIA About Croatia Denmark in Croatia REGISTRATION Please complete the online registration form no later than Friday 22 August Go to our website Upon registration you will receive a confirmation of your participation. For questions about registration please contact the Danish Embassy in Zagreb at [email protected]

10 9 ORGANIZERS CONTACT INFORMATION Danish Agriculture & Food Council Axelborg, Axeltorv 3 DK 1609 København V Denmark Michael Stahlschmidt Market Manager [email protected] Danish Board of District Heating Stæhr Johansens Vej Frederiksberg Denmark [email protected] Pia Zimmermann [email protected] Confederation of Danish Industry H. C. Andersens Boulevard København V Denmark Jens Holst Nielsen Director International Trade & Market Development [email protected] Helle Bundgaard Senior Advisor [email protected] Danish Embassy in Zagreb Trg N. S. Zrinskog Zagreb Croatia [email protected] Zarko Masanovic Head of Trade Department [email protected] Poul Erik Dam Kristensen Ambassador [email protected]